The Magisterial Reformer, John Calvin, once said to the Queen of Navarre: "A dog barks when his master is attacked. I would be a coward if I saw that God's truth is attacked and yet would remain silent." (April 28, 1545). This blog attempts to present news, commentary, and opinion from an Evangelical and Baptist perspective.

Thursday, January 17, 2008

2008 Soul Health Prescription: Take Twelve Puritans and Pray for Me in the Morning

If you have never tried reading Sibbes, Flavel, Watson, Bunyan, Burroughs, or Baxter, what better time than now? Mr. Brister describes the reasons for this project quite simply:

First, the Puritans had a relentless pursuit of God. In their writings you will find believers who knew their God deeply through a rich God-centeredness that affected every area of their lives. We are living in a day where it is hard to find folks who know their God well.

Second, the Puritans were physicians of souls. These men studied themselves and had a real, experimental knowledge of Christianity. Nowhere will you find more “uses” and applications for your life than in their writings. Not only did they know God well, they knew the minds, hearts, and consciences of men well.

Third, the Puritans possessed genuine piety because they knew how to fight the fight of faith. These men took direct aim at indwelling sin and fought hard for their personal sanctification. Their writings are incredibly pastoral and at the same time intimately convicting.

Fourth, the Puritans were pacesetters in church history. They ran in such a way to win, and whether it is their study of Scripture, commitment to family worship, personal devotion to prayer, or caring for the souls in their community, these men ran and ran hard.

Fifthly, reading the Puritans will provide you a healthy perspective so as to prevent chronological snobbery. Let’s face it. It is tempting to read only what is novel, trendy, and popular. Yet it is worthwhile to read books 100 years or older to understand how Christians lived, face struggles, dealt with issues (doctrinal, ecclesiological, ethical, etc.), and experienced God. Frankly speaking, you will not find anything close to Owen, Watson, Brooks, and Baxter on the front shelves of your local bookstore.

Here is the schedule:

January- Sibbes, Bruised Reed

February- Flavel, Mystery of Providence

March -Watson, Godly Man's Picture

April -Brooks, Precious Remedies Against Satan's Devices

May -Bunyan, Come and Welcome

June -Owen, Mortification of Sin

July -Bridge, Lifting Up

August -Burroughs, Rare Jewel

September- Bolton, True Bounds

October -Guthrie, Christian's Great Interest

November -Baxter, Reformed Pastor

December -Alleine, Sure Guide

Both my wife, Jeanette, and I plan to augment our devotional reading this year with some of the most soul nourishing writing in the history of Christianity! Join us!

2 comments:

A friend of mine was looking for the Calvin quote about a dog and his master and found your blog. I am going to keep up with the reading challenge this year also. I have read several of the titles already, but they are so good I will not mind reading them again. I will return when I have time and take a look around your blog and post some comments.

About Me

I am the President/CEO of a Christian retirement home ministry affiliated with the Transformation Ministries and the ABC. My first 22 years of ministry (and first three degrees) were in pastoral ministry. My next three academic programs and past twelve years have been devoted to leadership and management. We are a community of 350 residents and 180 employees. My wife is an Associate Pastor at a Baptist church affiliated with Transformation Ministries in CA. One of our sons is a pastor and adjunct instructor at Moody Bible Institute. Another son, an attorney, holds a MBA and JD. A daughter finished seminary and served with TEAM as a missionary in Kandern, Germany before teaching Bible in a Ft. Wayne Christian school. Another married son is lives in Joplin, MO. And, our youngest daughter is a freshman at Cornerstone University in Grand Rapids.